Qinghai-Tibet Artificial Rainfall Project ‘Delusional,’ Experts Say

The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is seen in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in November 2016. Photo: VCG

An ambitious project to artificially increase rainfall in a place known as the “Roof of the World” has been criticized by scientists as unfeasible and “delusional.”

The project, dubbed “Sky River,” aims to boost China’s declining water supply by directing rain onto the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is home to the headwaters of major Asian rivers that include the Yangtze and Mekong. Researchers from Tsinghua University and Qinghai University are leading the project, with government funding and support from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), a state-owned company that has also played a major role in the country’s space program.